Everything or nothing at all - RevisedEnhanced version
by katie1999
Summary: When Zorro is dying from an unexpected illness, there isn't much time left to decide on the future - if there is one at all. Revelations are due and now the family has to stand together through the hard times ahead.
1. Chapter 1

**Everything or nothing at all - Revised Version**

 _ **Disclaimer: This story was written solely for the enjoyment of other Zorro fans and is not intended to infringe on any copyrights held by Goodman/Rosen Productions, New World Television, Zorro Productions, the estate of Johnston McCulley or anyone else.**_

 **Chapter 1**

"Lancers!" The alcalde shouted, but they didn't come. They had already been disarmed by Zorro and it turned out to be the same duel between him and his archenemy Zorro.

Zorro reached for his sword when he suddenly his hand started to shake making it impossible for him to close his grip. Folding his hands across his chest to hide them, he approached the alcalde unarmed.

"Looking for your lancers, alcalde?" Zorro teased him. "I'm afraid they are unable to assist you. Do you really want to fight me again? Why don't you just rescind the taxes and save us the effort?"

"Never! I'll never give up this easily," the alcalde retorted with his sword in hand.

Fortunately for Zorro the short wordplay had been long enough and his hands no longer shook. He grabbed his sword and saluted as usual. "As you wish, alcalde." Afraid the shaking spell might return, Zorro used his skill to disarm the alcalde as fast as he could, without playing with him first.

After he had decorated the alcalde's vest with his Z and made him rescind the tax, he turned to Victoria to kiss her hand. "Beautiful as ever," he complimented her and was rewarded by her smile.

Quickly he mounted Toronado and rode home to the cave.

After he had returned and changed, Diego examined his hand, flexing and stretching his fingers, but everything was fine again. He couldn't explain what had happened and he decided that it must have been just a cramp in his hand.

Some days later he was reading a book in the library when his hands began to shake again and he felt dizzy. In his surprise he let the book fall down to floor. The noise made Felipe come looking. "Everything is fine Felipe, it's just a book that fell down."

The next time it happened he was writing something at the desk in his cave and the quill in his shaking hand made lines all over the paper because he couldn't control it. In his effort to put the quill back to its holder he additionally knocked over the ink pot, spilling the ink all over his desk. Utterly frustrated, he shoved everything down to the floor.

Felipe who had heard the noise in the library found him bent forward with his head on his desk while he waited for the shaking and the dizziness to pass.

Looking at the mess all around him, Felipe shook his arm confused, asking what had happened.

"Everything is fine, Felipe. I was just writing a letter when my hands started shaking again." Diego explained. "I'm sorry for the mess."

Felipe looked at him alarmed. 'Your hands were shaking? Again? What do you mean with again? It has happened before?'

"I'm sorry, Felipe, I didn't want to upset you." Diego cursed himself for his slip of tongue.

'Have you been to a doctor?'

"No, I haven't consulted one. I read my books, but I didn't find anything."

'You should talk to Dr. Hernandez, promise.'

"I will go to a doctor, but not to Dr. Hernandez. I can't let him examine me, because he might find out that I'm Zorro and I can't risk that."

'Who else?'

"I'll go to Dr. Fernandez in San Pedro where I'm less known than here in Los Angeles. I heard that he is quite able in his job and he has a broad knowledge about the strangest illnesses since he has to deal regularly with foreigners who arrive in the port of San Pedro."

'Tomorrow! Promise!'

"Yes, Felipe, I promise. And now we should take care of that mess."

While Felipe got a broom, Diego picked up the items from his desk that he had swept down in his frustration.

Z Z Z

The doctor in San Pedro Diego consulted the next day proved as capable as his reputation promised. He examined Diego thoroughly, asking him about previous injuries and illnesses, but still he was at loss with the symptoms. There were several illnesses that fit to one symptom or the other both nothing match them all. Dr. Fernandez asked Diego to return again while he tried to figure out his illness.

At his next visit a week later the doctor went through his medical history again. "Is there something you have forgotten to tell me, Señor?" Dr. Fernandez asked. "I couldn't match an illness to your symptoms. To me it looks as if you have been poisoned."

Surprised, Diego looked at him. "I have been poisoned, but that was three years ago. I took the antidote in time."

"You must know that some poisons have lingering effects that manifest only much later after the actual poisoning."

Together with the doctor Diego went through everything that happened when he was poisoned by Palomarez without revealing his role as Zorro. The poison, the time it took to show its effects, the symptoms he suffered from and the time that passed until he took the antidote.

"Señor, it seems like your case is very complicated. I'm not an expert on these poisons from the Amazonian jungle. I will need to consult with some of my colleagues. Unfortunately, this will take time that you may not have to lose, but it is all I can do for you. If I'm right with my assumption, your shaking spells and dizziness will increase and you may suffer from blindness too. I strongly recommend you to refrain from any dangerous activities. Any information about the poison you have would be useful. If you manage to extract the ingredients in you laboratory, then it would be a great help."

"Anything else I can do?" Diego was shocked. He had thought to have successfully cured the poisoning after he drank the antidote.

"I'd look for the antidote, it may help you with your spells and some of the symptoms. I'll get back to you as soon as I have new information to you." Dr. Fernandez shook his hand and guided him out the room, not hiding his concern for his patient.

On the ride back from San Pedro Diego was in a thoughtful mood. How could he continue as Zorro if he could be surprised by spells at any time? He needed to lay low until the doctor found a cure for his problems. Hopefully, the alcalde would behave in the near future and he had to leave the patrolling of the area for bandits to Mendoza and his soldiers.

Most important now was to find out everything about the poison and extract the antidote from the cactus flower.

The next days Diego was busy in his laboratory, trying to analyze the poison from the sample he had gotten from Palomarez. In addition, he rode out in search for the rare cactus flower that contained the antidote.

Z Z Z

On one of his following visits a few weeks later, the doctor could finally give him a diagnosis.

On his ride home he was so shocked that he could hardly concentrate. After he had taken his horse to the stables he headed straight for the cave where Felipe found him later.

Diego knew he could no longer keep the truth from Felipe. Quietly, he informed him about the doctor's diagnosis.

"Felipe, I'll have to leave tomorrow with the coach to Mexico, but I'll be back as soon as I can."

Diego patted him on the shoulder, but Felipe looked at him accusingly. 'You lied, you lied to me. You told me that I wasn't so bad. How can I believe you now?'

"Felipe, I'm sorry, but I didn't want you to worry."

'You will leave me, just like my parents left me.' Felipe crouched down at the floor burying his head on his knees. Sitting down next to him on the floor, Diego took him in his arms as he had done so often when Felipe had been a child.

"Felipe, no more lies." Felipe looked at Diego expectantly through his tears. "If I promised you that everything will be fine, it'd be a lie. But I can promise you one thing, I'll do my best." Diego tried to cheer him up.

Felipe grabbed Diego at his arms. 'I want to come with you!'

"Felipe, you can't."

'Why not? I can help you and take care of you as I did when Zorro was injured!'

"I will be cared for in Mexico and I need you here. You're the only one Toronado lets approach besides me and someone has to take care of everything here. Do you want Toronado to suffer?"

Felipe shook his head. "And I need you for something else."

'For what?'

"If Zorro disappears at the same time as I, then the alcalde may draw the right conclusion that I'm Zorro. I don't know what he will do to my father or Victoria if he finds out and I'm no longer there to protect them."

'What do you want me to do?'

"I want you to ride out on Toronado in Zorro's clothing, so that the soldiers will see you in the distance."

'I can fight the soldiers, I'm better with the sword than any of them.' Felipe made some quick movements with an imaginary sword, demonstrating his skill.

Diego smiled. "I know you could beat any of them in a sword fight, but it takes more practice to beat them all at once and you're not ready for that yet. Promise me, you won't engage them in a fight or come close enough for them to notice the difference between us." Felipe seemed a bit reluctant, but finally he nodded. 'I promise.'

Diego rose from the cold floor and extended his hand to Felipe, helping him up and hugging him. "I love you, son."

Back in the library Diego went to the parlor in search for his father to talk to him.

Alejandro had just come home from the pueblo and was in a bad mood. "Ah, Diego, there you are. Last week there was an attack on a coach coming from Monterey and two passengers were killed and robbed. It took the lancers until today to find the culprits and bring them to justice when I would have taken Zorro only a day to achieve that feat. That can't go on. Zorro seemingly doesn't care anymore and the lancers are hopelessly incompetent. Tonight is a meeting of the caballeros at Don Emilio's hacienda and I want you to accompany me."

"I think it's a good idea for the caballeros to take some action. They can't always rely on Zorro." Diego agreed with his father.

"Then you will come with me to the meeting?" Alejandro looked at him expectantly.

"I'm sorry, Father, but I'm going to Mexico for some time and I have much to prepare."

"You are going to Mexico, Diego? Do you think this is the right time?"

"Father, please," Diego tried to interrupt his father, but there was no stopping him, once he got in rage.

"Don't you father me, Diego," Alejandro wasn't in the mood to listen to his son. "You are needed here in Los Angeles. This is not the time to travel for whatever reason you have. Zorro hasn't come to the pueblo for weeks and it's time for you to take over some of the responsibility. Stop hiding behind your pointless experiments and finally do something. You need to come along to the meeting tonight."

Diego had wanted to talk and in his shocked state he couldn't stand his father's accusations anymore. "I told you before that I don't have the time and I'm sorry that you see me as a disappointment, but maybe you should take a final look at me. I am leaving tomorrow and I don't know if I'll be back. Stop thinking that Zorro can solve all your problems for you. All you have done the recent years was to protest and hope that Zorro would save the day for you. And now that he is no longer doing his job as you name it, you blame it on him. It's time for the caballeros to stand up for their own and for the lancers to finally the do their job to keep the area secure. For once start thinking before you act."

Angry and frustrated, Diego returned to the library where he quietly slipped into the cave. This wasn't the way he had imagined his last evening at home. He had wanted to tell his father everything, but instead it had ended in one of these arguments that they'd had so often in the recent years, with Alejandro showing his disappointment in his son all too clear. Diego wanted to be accepted as himself or the man he pretended to be while he was unable to reveal his secret.

If only his father would listen to him once. Frustrated, Diego paced the cave stopping from time to time to look at one item or another on the selves, deciding if he would need it in Mexico. He knew he should start packing now and prepare everything for his absence, but his feelings were too mixed up to find the patience for it.

There was one more thing he needed to do, the one thing he dreaded the most. He had to talk to Victoria before he left.

* * *

 _A/N: I had the first chapters of this revised version posted on my homepage and when I reread it yesterday, I decided to post it in parts on ff too. The story was one of my first and I no longer like how I wrote it. The new version is about twice as long with additional chapters and a few changes concerning Alejandro. I hope you'll like iteven if it's not new.  
_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Victoria had locked the front door and was cleaning up in the main room when Zorro slipped into the kitchen. From behind the curtains he watched her rearrange the tables and put dirty glasses on a tray. Occupied with the heavy load in her hands, she passed him by without noticing him and set the tray on the table next to the sink. Only when she turned around again, she became aware of his presence.

"Zorro, you startled me," Victoria said, nearly dropping the dishes. "How long have you been standing there?"

"I just arrived," he lied. He hadn't seen her recently, neither as Diego nor as Zorro, and he fought against his desire to take her in his arms, but he knew then he would never be able to do what he came for.

"Zorro, I have been missing you. Where have you been?" Victoria smiled, happy to see him. She was about to rush in his arms, but he backed up and folded his arms across his chest. Victoria stopped in mid movement, puzzled by his efforts to keep a distance between them.

"What is wrong? Why are you so different today?" Victoria said, alarmed.

"Victoria, I have to talk to you." His voice was sincere and his face became grim. "I will leave the Los Angeles area and I don't know if I will come back. I have to tell you this because I don't want you to wait for me any longer."

Victoria looked at him in shock. "You are taking back your proposal? Why? Don't you love anymore?"

"Victoria, please. I still love you. It is just as I said, I have to leave and I can't tell you if I will be back." He tried not to show her his despair.

"Do you think you can leave me like this, Zorro? Don't you think you owe my an explanation, after all these years I have been waiting for you?" Victoria was angry now. Her voice was hovering between anger and tears. "In the recent weeks I haven't seen you at all and now you want to break our engagement! How can you expect me to believe you that you still love me?"

"Victoria," he didn't know what to say. Aware that another spell could surprise him any time, he didn't trust his body anymore to climb up to the first floor as he used to, so he just headed for the stairs.

He was relieved that she didn't realize what was different tonight and that this was the first time he was using the stairs instead of directly climbing up to the window he used as his exit. But she didn't want him to leave so easily. Quickly, she passed him by on the steps and turned around, her arms spread to the side barring the stairs. She was now on eye level with him and he had to pass by her to leave.

"Tell me why, Zorro, or have the heart to tell that you don't love me anymore."

He stopped and stared at her for moment. Even with the mask she could see fighting emotions reflecting on his face. He tried to restrain himself, but he couldn't control his emotions anymore. Tucking his gloves in his belt, he drew her close to hold her and to feel her. Tenderly, he brushed through her hair and caressed her cheek before he kissed her. "I love you, Victoria, more than you'll ever know." Knowing this was probably the last time he'd be holding her, he couldn't restrain himself anymore. He needed to feel her in his arms, to breath her and to smell her scent. Kissing her like never before, he wouldn't let her release out of his arms. Showering her with kisses, he locked her in an even tighter embrace than usual.

"Victoria, believe me, I wish I could stay, but I have to go," he whispered, holding onto her as if she was his lifeline. When Victoria saw the tears glittering in his eyes, she knew that something was truly amiss.

Overwhelmed by the intensity of his emotions, Victoria felt his despair and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tight. "I'm here, Zorro," she assured him. "Tell me what's wrong!" she demanded. "Tell me everything."

After he had calmed down enough to release her again, she led him by the hand to one of the tables and made him sit down beside her.

Without any more objections he her hands in his and stared at her, searching for words. "I .. I ..," he started, "I'm ill, Victoria, very ill."

"What do you mean by that and why is that a reason to break our engagement? Don't you know that I'm here for you?"

"I may not have much more time to live." His voice was quiet.

Victoria blanched at his words. "No," she whispered. "That can't be. What ails you?"

"Do you remember Palomarez? When he returned, he claimed that I was a dead man?"

"Yes, but what has Palomarez to do with your illness?" Victoria asked uncomprehendingly.

Zorro told her how he investigated the false deed at the de la Vega hacienda and how he was injured by him.

"He poisoned me and he told me I had only twenty-four hours to live, but by making him believe he was poisoned too, I tricked him into leading me to the antidote in time. After I drank the antidote, I felt alright again."

"You survived and it was years ago," Victoria asked. "Why does it cause you problems now?"

"Recently I had some spells when my hand started to shake and I could hardly grip the sword during a fight and there were other symptoms that were similar to what I suffered during that time."

"Is that why you don't come to town any longer?"

He nodded. "I did some research and went to a doctor in San Pedro. During my visit today he confirmed what I had suspected. These shaking spells and some other effects are the lingering results of the poison. The same happened to some soldiers who were attacked with poisonous arrows by some Indians in the Amazonian jungle. Those who did survive got the same aftereffects some years later. Of the six soldiers, who survived the initial attack, five died six months after the aftereffects appeared three years later."

Victoria was scared. "When did your spells start?"

"About two months ago."

"Are you telling me you have only four more months to live? Is there nothing you can do? What happened to the sixth soldier?" Victoria stared at him in shock.

"The doctor in San Pedro has a colleague in Mexico City who happens to be the doctor who treated the surviving soldier. He managed to flush the poison out of him. The doctor recommended me to go to Mexico City immediately and start the cure with the other doctor."

He looked Victoria in the eyes. His face was sad. "Do you understand now why I have to go? It is either that or I'll be dead in four months."

Victoria started to cry. "No, please, you cannot die. Not after all we have been through. It's not fair."

He laughed a bitter laugh. "You cannot expect life to be fair. Otherwise, we would have been granted a different alcalde and there would have been no need for Zorro."

"When will you leave?" Victoria had wrapped her arms around his neck and looked into his face.

"The coaches to Mexico City leave only every two weeks and I have no more time to lose. I have to leave tomorrow at noon." Zorro said remorsefully.

"Tomorrow?" Victoria gasped. "Then this is the last time I will see you? That can't be."

"I'm sorry, Querida. That's how it is." He stared at her, trying to imprint her image in his mind while his hands brushed tenderly through her hair. "I wish it would be different, but I have to leave now."

"Stay!" she said desperately. "Don't go. Stay with me tonight. Don't leave like this."

She caressed his face and kissed him passionately. He did no longer hold back when he gave her the most passionate kiss she had ever received. His hands roamed across her body, touching her passionately. She felt emotions stir inside her she never knew they existed. After a while they finally broke apart.

"I don't think, it's a good idea," he said in a husky voice. "We can't do this as long as we are not married. I don't want you to fall in disgrace when I'm gone." He tried to remove himself from her embrace, but Victoria didn't want to let him go. Desperately, she clung even tighter to him. "Don't go, please don't leave me."

Kissing her again, he whispered, "I don't want to go, but I can't stay. It's too late to ask you to marry me, because it would only make you a widow!"

"I'd rather be your widow than have nothing at all," Victoria said determined.

"Victoria, I can't ask that of you. There's only this night left and even that is running fast."

"Then there's no more time to lose. I can't bear to see you go!"

"Are you sure? Do you want to marry me even if it's only for one night?" he asked her longingly.

"Marry? Now?" Victoria was stunned.

"Yes, it's the only way. We could wake Padre Benitez and ask him to marry us, unless you don't want to." Zorro looked at her expectantly.

"Marrying you is all I ever wanted, even if it is in the middle of the night. This night is all we may ever have and I don't want you to leave me now and waste the time that remains." Then another thought came to her mind. "But doesn't it mean you have to reveal your identity to me?"

"My identity won't matter anymore when I'm gone." With a shove he removed the mask from his head and Victoria stared at him.

"Diego? Oh no!" she cried out.

With a hurt face he stood up abruptly and turned away from her. "I always knew you could never love the man behind the mask. I think I'd better leave." He started to put on his mask again, but Victoria stopped him.

"Diego, no, you get this wrong." Victoria moved in front of him and with her arms around his waist she put her head on his chest. "I just can't bear to lose you too. Being without Zorro is horrible, but losing you at the same time is even worse. I had hoped you'd be there for me when Zorro was gone, but now...," she cried again. "I can't say who is more dear to me Zorro or you. I only couldn't admit my feelings. I couldn't understand myself how I could love two different men, but now I see why. You are the same person. And I still want to marry you." She managed a smile under her tears.

Diego listened intently to her words, dropping his hands that were holding his mask and slowly closed his arms around her. "You can love me even if I'm only plain studious Diego? You will marry me?" he asked, hopefully.

"Yes, everything I ever wanted was to marry the man behind the mask. I'll be ready as soon as I have my ring." She gave him a tender kiss, before she went up to her room. When she returned a few minutes later, he had put on his mask again. He couldn't take the chance to be discovered while they went to the church.

"Your father, does he know?" Victoria asked, remembering how honored Alejandro had been to give her away in her father's stead when she had been about to marry before.

Zorro shook his head. "No, he doesn't. I wanted to talk to him, but instead we had another fight." He sounded miserable.

"Oh," Victoria could only to well imagine how it had gone, after she had witnessed more than once the arguments between father and son. "I'm sorry, Diego. It must have been bad for you to hear these words from your father all these years without being able to say something, and I haven't been better either, but now that I know..," she pointed at his mask. "I understand now and I'm sorry for what I said to you. Forgive me?"

"There is nothing to forgive, Querida." Zorro drew her in his arms again. "I'm sorry that I can't give you the big wedding I wanted you to have with my father leading you down the aisle."

"I don't mind that as long as I have you standing beside me at the altar. But you'll have to fix that with your father before you leave."

"I know," he didn't sound very happy.

"This is tomorrow, Diego, tonight we're going to get married and forget about everything else. I'm ready if you are." Victoria managed to bring a smile back to his face when she held out her hand for him. Taking it, Zorro led her out of the tavern.

Keeping to the shadows, they stealthily crept to the church. Zorro silently opened the church door and beckoned her to enter.

"Wait here. I will get the padre."

Victoria sat down in the front pail after she had put on her white mantilla that she had fetched from her room together with her ring. The white mantilla showed her status as an unmarried virgin and she would never wear it again, exchanging it for the black of a married woman.

She started to think about the unexpected events of the evening, but soon Zorro reappeared with the padre and one of the mission helpers in tow.

"Juan will act as our witness," Zorro explained the presence of the helper.

Padre Benitez didn't seem to be surprised when Zorro removed his mask for the wedding. He only smiled as if his suspicions were confirmed.

The ceremony was short, due to the late hour and the unusual circumstances. Victoria and Diego didn't hesitate with their yes. The kiss Diego gave her was short but passionate. They both couldn't stand lingering any longer. All they wanted was to get back to the tavern and let their passion run free.

Without any incident they managed to sneak to the tavern back door unseen by the lancers. After Victoria opened the door, Zorro picked her up in his arms and carried her across the threshold. Without setting her down he closed the door silently behind him and carried her to her bedroom. When he lowered her down on the bed, he saw the tears in her eyes.

"Why are you crying, Victoria? Are you regretting our wedding?" Diego asked, confused.

Victoria shook her head. "I'll never regret that, Diego. I'm crying because I'll lose you tomorrow. I love you so much!"

"That is tomorrow, Querida. We still have tonight and I'm going to hold you in my arms and love you until then." He kissed her tears away tenderly, but kissed her passionately when he reached her mouth. Victoria responded eagerly. "Let's waste no more time," she whispered while they helped each other to get rid of their clothes.

Z Z Z

Except for some naps, neither of them got much sleep that night. This night was too precious to spend it on sleep. When they did not make love, they lay in each others arms, talking softly. Between sweet whispers of love Victoria asked the questions that were burning on her mind. She knew she might never get another chance to ask them.

It was before dawn when he rose. He had to leave while it was still dark and his black outfit hid him from the lancers.

After he had dressed, he sat down at the edge of the bed looking at his sleeping wife. "Querida, I have to go now," he whispered, gently brushing a curl from her face. "Don't go," she murmured sleepily. She had fallen asleep despite her efforts to stay awake.

"I'd love to stay, but there are a lot of things I have to do before I leave. I wanted to do them last night after saying goodbye to you."

He didn't need to add that he had never planned to stay the night and that he had to put his things in order, in case he never came back.

"I'll come with you," Victoria sat up in bed.

"I'd love to have you at my side, but you can hardly keep your eyes open and you can't help me with my preparations. After staying awake last night, you need your sleep." Diego smiled, looking at her curves that were barely concealed by the sheet.

"I'll manage," Victoria fought to stay awake.

"Sleep, mi Querida. Last night was wonderful and more than I ever expected, but I have to go now. I'll see you at noon, before the coach leaves." Holding her naked body in his arms, touching her bare skin made him more than tempted to stay, but he knew he couldn't. Instead, it became a long kiss that still ended too soon and some whispered words of love while he held her tight. Tears were running down her face and she clung to him, not wanting him to go.

"I wish I could hold you forever, but I can't stop the time. I will try to be back. The memories of last night will help me to go on." He kissed her tenderly once more, before he put on his gloves again and quietly slipped out of the room.

After he had left, she sank back into the covers where his smell still lingered. She buried her face in the pillow and cried until sleep overtook her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It was dawning when Diego emerged from the cave. Instead of retreating to his room to get some sleep, he went outside the hacienda and leaned against the wall. From this point in the garden he could watch the sun slowly rise over Los Angeles in the distance, giving the white washed adobe houses a golden shine. He thought of Victoria and his family and how hard it was to leave them.

"Diego, what are you doing here outside at this hour?" his father pulled him out of his thoughts.

Unnoticed from Diego, Alejandro, who was an early riser, had stepped outside the hacienda to find his son awake and crying at this early hour. "What's wrong, Diego?"

"Why, Father?" Diego wiped away the tears he hadn't been aware of.

"Don't tell me you're crying for nothing, son. I haven't seen you cry since you were a boy. So tell me what is going on? I'm sorry about our argument yesterday. I went looking for you last night to apologize, but I couldn't find you. You said you were going to Mexico City today and didn't know if you would return. Can you tell me why? Is that because of our fights? Because you think I'm disappointed in you? Are you leaving me?" Alejandro's fear was obvious. "Will you stay if I apologize and promise to be a better father?"

Diego looked at his father intently. He knew he had to talk to him, before he left and set things right between them. He shook his head, "I can't stay, Father, and there is nothing you can do to change it. I wish there was, but I can't stop time. And there's not much time left. No more time when we have wasted all those years."

"Diego?" Alejandro put a hand on his arm and looked at him questioningly, trying to find out what was bothering him.

"I love you, Father," Diego embraced him shortly. "There is something I must tell you, Father." Diego said seriously, leading him to a nearby bench and indicated him to sit down beside him. Alarmed by the sound of Diego's voice, Alejandro did as he was bidden.

Diego brushed his hands through his hairs, searching for the right words to start.

"What I have to tell you won't be easy, and you have every right to be angry with me for not telling you earlier, but I beg you to forgive me."

Alejandro's concern grew with Diego's words. Whatever the problem was, it was serious. "You're my only son, Diego, and I love you even if I don't show it sometimes. You can trust me with whatever problem you have. I'm here for you." Alejandro put his hand on Diego's shoulder in reassurance.

"I'm dying, Father." Diego said simply.

Alejandro looked as shocked as Victoria the night before.

"Are you joking? This can't be! You're a young and healthy man!"

"It's not a joke, Father, but the truth."

"How? Why?" Alejandro stuttered.

"There is no time to explain everything to you now, Father, and I'm very sorry for that." Diego looked at his father remorsefully and slowly continued. "I was poisoned three years ago and I thought that the antidote had cured me. But I learned yesterday from the doctor in San Pedro that I was wrong. It's one of the aftereffects of the poison that it comes back after this time. I told you yesterday that I'm going to Mexico City, but that's not all. The reason why I'm going is to visit a doctor there because if I don't, I'll be dead in four months. I was recommended to that doctor in Mexico City who might be able to help me."

Diego started to rise, but the lack of sleep and everything he went through the last day took effect. A dizzying spell overcame him, one of the worst he had encountered so far and he had to sit back again, taking hold on the armrest. Alejandro steadied him and looked at him with concern.

"Four months? You'll be dead in four months? Is that why you stayed in bed so often in the recent years? Why haven't you told me before? I'm your father, I want to help you." Alejandro was hurt, but his son was more important now. This was not the time to quarrel. Diego was swaying heavily and searching for hold, he leaned onto his father.

"Is that an effect of the poison? These dizzying spells? They will kill you?" Diego only nodded, fighting the spell, and Alejandro held him while he was swaying.

"There is much more that you don't know about me, Father. Please forgive me for keeping my secrets," Diego continued once the spell was over.

"I'll forgive you anything, just tell me now, just as you have to forgive for not being a better father, one you could trust." Alejandro felt helpless and slowly he began to grasp that he was about to lose his son to an illness he couldn't understand and that his son had kept from him. Who could have poisoned Diego and for what reason? And why had Diego never said a word? How long had this been going on?

"I talked to Victoria yesterday to say goodbye to her, but she didn't want to let me go, so we asked Padre Benitez to marry us. Victoria became my wife last night. So today is actually my wedding day." Diego smiled at the memory and stifled a yawn, covering his mouth with his hand. "You have finally gotten a daughter-in-law." Diego tried to make it easier for his father.

"You and Victoria? But she's in love with Zorro." Alejandro couldn't understand the news.

"I am Zorro, Father. I couldn't leave her waiting for me not knowing if I would return." Diego explained patiently.

"You are Zorro? And you married Victoria last night? And you are dying?" All that was too much for Alejandro to take in at once.

"As I said, Father, I'm sorry." Diego rose slowly from the bench, steady again, now that the spell was over. "Excuse me, please, but there are some more things I need to take care of, before I leave. It's not your fault, Father, that I didn't tell you. It was all because of Zorro. I needed to protect you, so there is nobody to blame for."

Alejandro watched him enter the hacienda, still frozen on his seat at the bench. The moment Diego vanished from sight, it was like a blow overcame him. This might be the last time he saw his son enter the hacienda before he left and no one knew if he would return.

It just couldn't be, it had to be a nightmare. His son couldn't be Zorro or dying or married to Victoria. His son was just Diego who spent too much time with his studies. All he needed to do was to wake up now.

Hearing the noises from the hacienda, the servants getting up and starting with their work, Alejandro realized he wasn't dreaming at all. Then he began to weep silently. Diego was dying! He was losing his only son. Oh, Madre de Dios, help him. Please, don't let him die, he begged, please, please not Diego.

Praying some more in his sudden despair, he stayed at the bench until he slowly came out of his stupor. Then he rose from the bench to follow his son inside and join him for breakfast.

They didn't talk much at breakfast, the shock from the news sitting too deep with his father. Diego had told him and Felipe what they needed to know and there wasn't much more to say. There wasn't the time to tell his father everything about Zorro. He tried to cheer them up by telling them that his chances to be cured were quite good though he couldn't convince them when he wasn't so sure himself.

Felipe hadn't slept last night either. He was older now than the last time he had lost his parents, but Diego had been his parent since, and the prospect of losing him made him feel as if he was six years old again. When he couldn't hold back his tears anymore, he ran from the breakfast table into the cave to soothe himself by taking care of Toronado.

It was there where Diego found him later. There were some things he had to take care of before he left, as changing his will to include Victoria as his wife, writing some letters and arrange for his absence with Felipe, as far as it could be arranged on such a short notice. After he had packed what he would need in Mexico City, he used the remaining time to take a walk around the hacienda and remember childhood memories and pleasant times he had spent here with his parents, Felipe and Victoria.

Then it was time to say goodbye. They had all tears in their eyes when they embraced. "I love you, Father."

"I love you too, son." Alejandro patted his son on the shoulder. "Come back, Diego, please come back."

When the carriage started to move towards the pueblo, Diego turned around and waved again with his hands. His father and Felipe were still standing in front of the hacienda watching the carriage with Diego disappear.

Alejandro put his arm around Felipe's shoulder when they returned inside. "I can't replace Diego," Alejandro said to Felipe, "but I'll be here for you when you need me. Just as during the time Diego was in Madrid. And we must not lose faith that he will return."

Felipe nodded gratefully at Alejandro. "And now you can start telling me everything about Zorro. Diego wasn't very forthcoming about Zorro and how he came to his illness. But I'm sure you can tell me much more."

Felipe sighed at the prospect of the endless questions he would have to answer.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

While a de la Vega servant helped to load Diego's luggage on the top of the coach that was getting ready for the departure to Mexico City, Diego went into the tavern. Victoria was nowhere to be seen in the main room and he headed straight for the kitchen.

"Ah, Don Diego, it's nice to see you in the tavern again. I think your visit will be well appreciated by Victoria," Victoria's helper Pilar greeted him. "She not in a good mood today. Something must have happened between her and Zorro. I have never seen her in so low spirits before, and she looks as if she has cried and not slept at all. You've always been so good in cheering her up."

"I'm leaving for Mexico City to visit some friends and I want to say goodbye to Victoria. If you could give us a minute, Pilar?" Diego asked pleadingly.

"Of course, Don Diego. I'll be busy in the main room and other guests won't go into the kitchen," Pilar said sympathetically. "I wish you a good journey and we will all miss you, especially Victoria."

Victoria had heard him talking and was standing right in front of the curtain when he entered. The moment the curtain closed behind him, she rushed into arms. Kissing her passionately, he breathed the scent of her hair and felt her soft skin under his hands just as he had last night.

They were so engrossed that they never saw Pilar enter through the curtain a few minutes later. Pilar was shocked to see them so entangled. It wasn't one of the tender kisses she had seen Victoria share with Zorro, but this was much more intimate. Victoria was melting in Diego's arms, trying to be as close to him as possible.

Embarrassed by the sight, Pilar quickly retreated to the main room, trying to comprehend what she had seen. Victoria and Don Diego were lovers. She'd never have thought that of Victoria, but it explained why she was in so low spirits.

Probably, Zorro had split up with her when he found out about her and Diego. And now Don Diego was leaving her as well, heading for Mexico City after he had seduced her. Pilar had believed him to be a gentleman! How could Victoria have been so foolish to hope that a rich caballero like Don Diego would marry someone below his class.

"I love you, Victoria. Let's have faith." After a tender kiss he released her and for moments they motionless looked into each others eyes. Letting his hand slide down along her bare arm, he softly caressed her, before turning around, tears glittering in his eyes.

Without looking back, he boarded the waiting coach while Victoria stayed in the kitchen, knowing she could not keep her composure if she waved him goodbye. In the quiet of the kitchen she heard the coach driver shout out, commanding his horses to start moving.

When Pilar returned to the kitchen, after Diego had passed her by without bothering to say another word, Victoria had fainted on the floor.

"Victoria, are you all right?" Pilar helped her up. Victoria swayed a little and sat down on a chair.

"I don't feel so good," Victoria admitted. "If you can manage without me I'll lay down for a while."

Slowly, Victoria went up to her room watched by Pilar who shook her head talking to herself. "Poor girl, what will she do now, ruined by Diego and abandoned by Zorro?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Victoria stayed in her room during lunch time, crying herself to sleep. She regretted the time she had missed with Diego, and she didn't know if she'd ever get the chance to see him again. She missed him, holding her in his arms, telling her how much he loved her.

For dinner time she got up, trying not to show her state of mind. Though she tried as she might, her customers knew right away that something was amiss. Her absence had been noted at noon and her usual good mood was gone and so was her smile. There were speculations she had had a fight with Zorro, but she did not comment.

It was Mendoza who finally shattered her brittle control. He was talking with some fellows about the fortune he had lost when his house had burned to the ground.

"Ah señores, money is not everything, isn't it? I have friends and a full stomach that is all that a man can wish for. Don't you agree, señorita Escalante? And I know what you wish for – to marry your masked love. Am I right?"

Had he asked her yesterday, she would have agreed. To know the identity of her love and marry him was all that she had ever wished for. But now that she had everything she had wished for, she knew she had nothing at all. Nothing had changed in her life. She was a married woman now with a husband who loved her dearly, but still her bed was empty and would remain so. The prospect of an empty future filled her eyes with tears, and she ran to the kitchen where she put her face on the table to cry.

Alejandro just entered the tavern when he saw Victoria heading for the kitchen in a run. Immediately, he followed her and put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. Surprised, Victoria looked up to up him.

"I know everything," he said sorrowfully. "Diego talked to me this morning before he left." It was all she needed to start crying at Alejandro's shoulder. "I love him and I miss him so much, Don Alejandro."

"I know, Victoria. I know." Alejandro patted her back, trying to comfort his daughter-in-law. Now that he had overcome the shock of the revelation and learned much from questioning Felipe, he tried to cope with it. "Do you want to come for dinner tonight? You're a member of the family now. Consider the hacienda as your home too."

Victoria only shook her head. "I can't, Don Alejandro. Not today and not without Diego. I would miss him even more." She looked at him apologetically. "This is my wedding day and I always imagined that it would be the happiest day of my life when we would all be together, celebrating happily, but now ... without Diego ...," she continued to cry. "I never thought it would be like this."

"I understand, Victoria. We all miss him." He brought a small smile to her face when he added, "It's Alejandro or father! You are my daughter-in-law now and the de la Vegas stick together. You can always count on me."

"Thank you, Don..., Father, it really means much to me." Victoria felt a little better, knowing she had a shoulder to lean on.

"There is so much I don't know about my own son," Alejandro sighed. "Except for Felipe, you probably know him best, meeting him as Zorro. Would you come for dinner at another day and tell me about him, please? I didn't manage to get to know my own son while he was living under my roof, at least I want to know him when he's gone." Alejandro's despair was obvious.

"Of course, I'll talk with you about Zorro." Victoria promised him though she didn't know if it would bring her relief or only more pain.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The journey to Mexico City was pure torture for Diego. The constant swaying, the bumpy road and the bad air in the coach were hard to bare even when you were rested and feeling well. After the tiring day and sleepless night that lay behind him, Diego was neither. He tried hard to conceal his shaking spells by covering under his coat that made him sweat underneath. With only a few breaks the coach moved on and on towards his destination and only sheer exhaustion made him fall asleep.

Like the other passengers Diego was grateful when the carriage stopped at the small station in San José for the night. The owners of the small tavern had expected the coach and were ready for new guests.

Fortunately, the tavern had enough free rooms, so he could stay on his own. Too exhausted from the journey to stay up any longer, he had his meal brought up to his room before he went to bed. The other passengers frowned upon him and he knew that they believed him to be too haughty to join them in the tavern room or chat during the drive in the coach, but he couldn't help it. He didn't want anyone to see how exhausted he really was.

Diego kept up the routine during the one week journey to Mexico City, always retiring immediately in the evening and only occasionally he ate in the main room when he felt well enough.

Z Z Z

The letter from the doctor in San Pedro had arrived a few days earlier than Diego and Dr. Herrera expected him already.

"Don Diego de la Vega? I'm Dr. Herrera and I have expecting you ever since I got the letter from my colleague in San Pedro." The short man looked up the impressive figure in his elegant suit.

"Come in, you must be tired." Diego followed the doctor into a parlor where he gratefully took a seat. A servant brought him a drink that he sipped slowly.

The doctor waited for Diego to relax a bit, until he addressed him again. "I'm sure you must have many questions before you lay your life in my hands." The doctor smiled and Diego decided that he liked the man.

"Just the fact that I came here will tell you that I already trust you based on the reputation you have with your colleague in San Pedro," Diego replied.

"Tell me something about yourself, Don Diego. Do you have family? Are you married? And how did you get poisoned at all?"

"I have an adopted son, but my wife and I have no other children because we only married recently," Diego smiled, thinking of Victoria. "There's also my father who manages our hacienda."

"I can understand that you're eager to return to your family, especially when your marriage is so young." Dr. Herrera hadn't missed the dreamy expression on Diego's face when he talked about his wife. "But you haven't told me how you got poisoned and how you got the antidote. We need to be sure that you were really poisoned with the same poison as my previous patients."

"I was poisoned by a foe of my family. He scratched me with his sword that was dipped in the poison."

"How soon after the poisoning did you get the antidote?"

"I managed to the man to show me the antidote about fourteen hours later. It was the blossom of a rare cactus. I instantly felt a lot better after I took it, but the effects lasted more than a day. Now I would like to know more about the cure and how you will try to get the poison out of my body."

Dr. Herrera started to explain in general what the cure was about and was surprised about Diego's medical knowledge. Replying to Diego's questions, Herrera explained the used potions and medicines in more detail than he had planned as he hadn't wanted to bore his patient with details that were only comprehensible with a good medical background. Diego understood well how dangerous the cure was and that the chances were high he wouldn't make it.

"Now that we have discussed everything in detail, I have to ask you again, Don Diego. Do you really want to go through with it?" Dr. Herrera concluded his explanations. "There will be no turning back once we started it."

"I have no choice, Dr. Herrera, if I want to see my family again. The only other alternative is to give up and die in less than four months and that is really not an option for me." Diego stayed firm in his decision.

Z Z Z

The cure was very straining and Diego felt weaker and weaker from every application. The potions, the doctor gave him, made him sweat and lose much of his fluids. At the same time the effects of the poison increased, until he was no longer able to leave his bed. He thought he couldn't bear it anymore when he finally became blind and he begged the doctor to stop, but the doctor was relentless.

"Don Diego, I know it's hard, but you have to go through this if you want to live. We can't stop now! Don't you want to return to your family and your wife?"

Diego only nodded, thinking of Victoria, clinging to the memory how it was to hold her in his arms, thinking of her smile. He tried to keep up his faith that he would survive the cure, but every day it became harder as he was losing his strength and the control over his body.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

There was nothing that could cheer Victoria up the next days and more than once she ran to kitchen to cry in solitude. Rumors started to spread, now that Zorro no longer came to town and the sudden departure of Don Diego was also speculated on.

Two days later Victoria made up her mind. She couldn't keep on crying like this. There was only one thing to do. She would follow Diego to Mexico City, as it had been her first impulse when he had told her. They had discussed it, but he had objected against it.

"Victoria, you can't leave your tavern without preparation. There isn't anyone to manage it if you leave with me tomorrow. It will be better if you stay here. The cure will not be pleasant at all and please allow me to keep my dignity. I want you to remember me like I am, and I don't want you to see me dying."

He had been right about leaving her tavern, but two weeks were more than enough time to find someone to fill in and it was mostly his pride that prevented him to accept her offer to help him. He would need her and to hell with his pride. She would do everything to help him whether he liked it or not.

With a new resolve she started to set her plan in motion. She considered possible managers for her tavern and thought of the arrangements that had to be made for a longer absence. Alejandro also promised to keep an eye on the tavern during her absence and act as a manger for it. She was a member of the rich de la Vega family now and even if they hadn't made it public, it was still fact that the tavern now officially belonged to her husband.

"Go after Diego, Victoria. Your place is at his side now. And bring him back home," he had encouraged her.

"I will, Father, if I can." Victoria had promised him.

"One more thing, Victoria," Alejandro had asked her, "please write as soon as you get there. Diego has only written once. The letter was from the day he arrived and I haven't heard from him since. It worries me."

"I worry too," Victoria admitted. "I didn't get another letter either."

"Promise me that you'll write the truth about his condition. I have heard enough lies in the last years. I want to know how he is doing, even if it is bad news." Alejandro was depressed.

"I will write what I know and I won't lie," Victoria promised and she could hardly keep her tears at bay. "What if he is already dead when I arrive? What if I'm too late? I should have gone with him the same day!" Victoria cried at Alejandro's shoulder.

"We must have faith, Victoria," Alejandro tried to comfort her. "Diego is a strong man. He will make it."

Z~Z~Z

She kept to the story that she had split up with Zorro and now needed some time away from Los Angeles and would go visiting her brother in Mexico City. Felipe and also Alejandro planned to make an appearance as Zorro to make everyone believe that Zorro was still around, but they would avoid any direct encounter with the alcalde or the soldiers.

Z~Z~Z

When Alejandro came to the tavern after Victoria's departure, Pilar received him with contempt. At first he didn't realize it since he was too occupied with his own grief, but when she passed by his table in the empty tavern without trying to serve him or even greet him as she used to, he could no longer ignore it.

Alejandro asked her for a private talk in the kitchen.

"Pilar, please tell me where this animosity to me suddenly comes from? Is there something I need to know?"

Pilar could no longer hold her anger at bay. "I think you know pretty well what is going on, Don Alejandro. Victoria is my friend and I know why she has been crying the whole time."

Alarmed Alejandro looked at her. What had Victoria told her? "What do you know, Pilar?"

"I saw Victoria and Diego in the kitchen before he left for Mexico City. They didn't part like mere friends."

Alejandro tried to downplay it, not knowing what Pilar had actually witnessed. "I think you must have misinterpreted something."

"No, I haven't. There was nothing to misinterpret from what I saw." Pilar wasn't finished yet. "I always thought well of your family, but now I see you're no better than the other caballeros. No caballero would ever consider marrying someone who is below his class. And Don Diego is no better or did he leave on your insistence? He ruined her and now he prefers to go to Mexico City instead of acting as a gentleman. Worst of all is that Don Diego took advantage of her while she was missing Zorro and now both Zorro and Diego have left her. No wonder she was crying her eyes out."

Pilar felt a lot better after she had voiced her opinion and Alejandro looked at her in horror. What a mess that was.

It would have been better if Diego and Victoria had behaved and not given reason to wild speculations, but he understood that they hadn't cared when it was maybe a goodbye forever.

Revealing their marriage now would make the alcalde hang his son as Zorro upon his return if he survived that poison and if he didn't, Victoria's reputation was ruined if Pilar started to talk.

"My son Diego," his hand waving gestures showed his emotions, "has done nothing that isn't worthy of a gentleman. And you should better keep quiet about what you _might,"_ Alejandro emphasized the word, "have seen in the kitchen. If you want to be a friend to Victoria, you'll better think what your talk means for her reputation. If I hear any rumors, I'll know where they come from."

Angrily, Alejandro waived with his gloves before he left the kitchen. "And one more thing! Victoria has entrusted me with the management of the tavern while she is away. If my family has really treated her so badly as you assume, she wouldn't have done that. You should give that a thought, before you start spreading any rumors."

Pilar didn't know what to reply. "And," Alejandro wasn't finished yet, "if you still want to talk badly about my son and Victoria, then you should consider who you are working for. I won't tolerate anything that ruins the reputation of my son or Victoria. Did I make myself clear?"

Intimidated, Pilar nodded. "You can be sure, Don Alejandro, that I won't give you reason to complain about me. It's only that I'm concerned about Victoria because she is my friend. I won't do anything to harm her."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Three weeks later Victoria knocked at the door of a whitewashed adobe building at the outskirts of Mexico City.

A servant in white trousers and a white shirt opened the door and asked for the reason of her visit. After she had stated her name, she was led to a spacious salon where a man rose from his seat behind a desk to greet her.

"Doña Victoria, may I introduce myself. I am Dr. Alonzo Herrera, welcome to my house. This is an unexpected visit. Your husband didn't tell me that you were coming."

"My husband had to leave quite suddenly to come here and I wasn't able to join him on such a short notice. But now I'm here. How is he? Can I see him?"

"Doña Victoria, I assume your husband has told you about the poison and its effects. This is a very rare case and so far only one patient has ever survived it. We have started to flush out the poison from his body, but if we will be successful is yet open. At the moment he has to suffer from the effects the poison has to his body, just like the first time he was exposed to it. I suppose you know what that means."

"Can I see him?"

"Yes, of course. I'll call a servant to take you to him. He is lodged in one of the guest rooms. I know that it is unusual, but your husband is in a severe condition and needs constant supervision."

Victoria didn't tell the doctor that she knew basically nothing about the effects of the poison except for the spells he had told her about. She wasn't prepared at all for the sight that awaited her in the room.

"Don Diego, you have a visitor," the servant said after knocking and gesturing her into the room. Then he addressed Victoria again. "I' ll be at your service if you need anything. The doctor is in the salon to talk to you later again."

Diego lay in the bed in a white nightshirt covered with a sheet. He had turned his head to the door, but did not move otherwise.

"Who is there?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

"It's me, Victoria. Don't you recognize me?" she asked, surprised. Then she saw the unfocused look in his eyes and realization hit her. He was blind!

"Victoria, is it really you? What are you doing here?"

Unable to say a word, she rushed to his bedside, throwing herself into his arms. He rose a little from his pillow and embraced her weakly.

"You shouldn't have come," he said, but his embrace and the tears in his eyes told her differently. "You shouldn't have come," he repeated, locking her in his arms as if he never wanted to let her go. With his hands he caressed her cheek and moved through her curls, assuring himself with his hands she was really there when his eyes no longer couldn't. "Victoria, Victoria," he whispered. "It's really you!" Victoria returned his desperate kiss, reassuring him of her love.

"Oh Diego, why didn't you tell me that you were going to be blind," she cried. "What other effects are there?" She couldn't fathom to imagine what blindness meant to a man like him who was so scientific minded and had a love for books.

"Shh, Querida, don't cry," he soothed her when he tasted the salty tears running down her cheeks.

"I have dreamed about nothing else than holding you in my arms," he whispered. "And now you're here!"

Diego held her in his arms, hardly able to believe that his dreams had come true. He needed to feel her to know that she was really there. "I need you, Victoria," he whispered. "I don't know how I can go on without you!"

"And I won't leave you. In good times and in bad, you remember, I promised." Victoria assured him.

Z Z Z

After she had visited Diego in his sick room, Victoria returned to the salon to talk to the doctor again.

The doctor noticed the shock on her face and signed her to sit down. "Are you all right, Señora de la Vega?"

"Yes. Yes. I'm fine. It's just that I didn't expect his weak condition. How bad is he? What are his chances to survive?" Victoria asked anxiously.

"I'm doing my best, Señora, to help your husband. All I can say is that this cure offers his best chance to survive."

"I want to stay with my husband. He needs me now," Victoria said. "Is there a a tavern or a guesthouse nearby where I can stay? I didn't have the time to check when I arrived today, because I wanted to see my husband first."

The doctor scrutinized Victoria. She was simply dressed more like a commoner than a noble woman. From the impression he had gotten from his patient and now his wife, their marriage was a love match rather than an arranged marriage between equals.

"Señora de la Vega, I'm sorry, but there aren't any guesthouses or tavern in this part of town that will suit your purpose," the doctor said slowly, noticing her desperate expression. He continued before she could say anything. "I may have a suggestion for you."

"What is it? Where can I stay?" asked Victoria.

"I know that you want to stay as close to your husband as possible in this critical situation and I can only support this as a doctor. Your husband needs your strength and your support now. I don't have any more guest rooms, because your husband occupies the only one I have. The only spare room I have is a servant room upstairs, but I must warn you. It's small and very simple. It's not what I would normally offer a noble woman."

"I take it," Victoria said immediately. "I'm not noble born and if it weren't for the Colonies and the less rigid rules I could never have married my husband. I'm not that used to rich decorum than you may think. I'm a working woman and I don't mind staying in a servant room if it means I can be close to my husband."

The doctor nodded with a smile. "I thought so, Señora or I wouldn't have suggested it. My servant will lead you to your room and you can freshen up from your travel."

In the evening she was present when Diego was due for another treatment and she had to witness the effects of the potion on Diego's body. The potion and the poison were fighting in his body, the doctor explained her and it left Diego weaker than before hardly able to lift his arm. Victoria held his hand when he lay in his bed exhausted from the treatment until he became unconscious. Alarmed, she called for the doctor.

"Señora, there's nothing I can do. All I can tell you is that the potions are working or there wouldn't be any effect. He can rest through the night until the next treatment in the morning," the doctor explained.

"Are you going to give him another potion in the morning?" Victoria asked, alarmed. "He's too weak for that. He won't have recovered enough through the night. You have to wait until he has rested more."

"I'm sorry, Señora, but you have to trust me on that. If I stop now, he will die from the poison. There's nothing else but to go on and hope that his body is strong enough," the doctor said apologetically.

"But he's so weak," Victoria protested. "How can he survive this?"

"Have faith, Señora, that's all I can say," the doctor said.

* * *

 _A/N: The next update will take a little longer, because I have to figure out the next or next two chapters to fit to the other chapter I have already written. I'm concentrating mainly on my other story An unexpected marriage and will write this in between. I hope you'll stay with me. So don't expect the next chapter in one week but rather in two or three._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Two weeks after Victoria had left, Alejandro got her letter that she had written on the day of her arrival. With shaking hands Alejandro sat down at his desk and unfolded the paper.

 _Dear Father,_

 _it was a long and straining voyage to Mexico City, but everything went well. I had some nice fellow travelers who helped me pass the time in the bumpy coach. The guesthouses along the way were mostly clean and I didn't have to share a room with another female traveler which was a relief. The food.._

Victoria continued to write about the voyage and he grew impatient with reading it. Did she only write it to prepare him for the bad news? All he was interested in was the condition of his son. How was Diego? Was he still alive? After reading through the reception by the doctor, he finally read about Diego. The paper was marked with water stains, indicating that Victoria must have been crying when she wrote it.

 _He's gotten so weak in the short time he's been here. He was always such a strong man and I can't bear to see him like this. When I came into his room he didn't recognize me, because he had gone blind. The poison is affecting every part of his body, but I'm not sure if the cure the doctor is applying isn't even worse. With each application Diego is getting weaker and I don't know what will kill him first, the cure or the poison. I asked the doctor to stop, but he told me that it was too late for that. Please, Father, pray for him. Pray to God that Diego will survive. It's all we can do now._

Alejandro put the letter to the side and began to weep silently. He had expected bad news, but this still came as a shock to him. When Diego had left, Alejandro hadn't wanted to believe that his son might not return, but now he had to face the truth about his son's illness. Diego lay dying in Mexico City and he had never felt this helpless.

Alejandro came out of his stupor when Felipe touched him at the shoulder. It took him a moment to understand the boy's concerned signs.

"Diego? No, Felipe, he isn't dead." Felipe breathed out, relieved.

"But his condition is very bad," Alejandro explained. "Read for yourself." He handed Felipe the last part of the letter.

"I'm riding to church to pray for him and talk to the padre. Do you want to join me?" he asked when the boy had finished reading.

Felipe nodded, wiping some tears from his face.

Z Z Z

After they spent some time in prayer in the church, Felipe returned home to give Alejandro the chance to have a private talk with the padre.

In front of the church Alejandro was about to mount his horse when he met his friend Don Emilio.

"Alejandro, buenas tardes, how are you?" Don Emilio greeted him joyfully, but then he saw Alejandro's face and his expression turned into concern. "Is something wrong?"

"It's Diego," Alejandro managed to say, suppressing his tears.

"What's wrong with him?" Emilio asked. "Come with me and tell me what has happened!" Emilio took Alejandro by the arm and pulled him over to the tavern where they sat down at a table.

"I got a letter from Victoria today," Alejandro explained, sticking to the truth as much as possible. "When she wanted to visit Diego in Mexico, he had fallen very ill."

"What ails him?" Emilio asked, sympathetically.

"Some kind of fever, Victoria didn't know exactly, only that it's very bad," Alejandro wiped his face.

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Alejandro. Will you go to Mexico City too?" Emilio asked.

Alejandro shook his head. "There's nothing I can do. If he doesn't survive, he will be dead before I get there. All I can do is pray for him."

"Is something wrong?" Pilar asked who had come to the table to serve the drinks and had caught the sad mood.

Don Emilio told her the news about Diego and Pilar expressed her sympathy.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Emilio asked after Pilar had left again.

"I think the caballeros should meet again at your hacienda to discuss the situation in the pueblo. We need to do something to stop the alcalde. We should have done that years ago," Alejandro declared.

Emilio looked at him surprised. Why was Alejandro talking about the situation in the pueblo when his son was severely ill? Maybe he simply wanted to change the topic?

"Yes, sure, Alejandro," Emilio agreed. "We can have a meeting again on Friday, if you want. What do you suggest?"

"We'd better talk about it at the meeting," Alejandro suggested, "but I want to gather all information of de Soto's misuse of office, so I can present the case to the governor in Monterey."

"Do you want ride to Monterey instead of Mexico to visit your son?" Emilio asked. "I don't understand you, Alejandro."

"It's something I need to do, Emilio," Alejandro said determined. "The governor didn't react before, but we need to give it another try. We can no longer depend on Zorro and have to act now."

Alejandro noticed his friend's surprise, but he couldn't tell him that this was about Diego. His son had fought all these years for the people in the pueblo and he didn't want Zorro's fight to have been in vain. It was the least he could do to honor his son's legacy. There would be no more Zorro if Diego died. And even if Diego survived and returned to Los Angeles, he couldn't stand stand the idea of losing his son while he was riding as Zorro. He had to make sure that there was no more need for Zorro if Diego returned. He wanted to be a better father and do everything for his son.

"I'll inform to the other caballeros about your plans, Alejandro," Emilio said, as Alejandro put his empty glass back on the table and rose from his seat. "I'll pray for Diego."

"Thank you, Emilio." With a nod Alejandro left the tavern, ignoring the pitiful looks of the other patron who were already informed about Diego's severe condition by Pilar.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Thank you for your reviews, especially Ilovedobermans, for reviewing again and reminding me to continue this. The next chapter is already written and shouldn't take so long, but I still have to write the final chapters when I have changed the plot in a way that I can no longer use the original ending._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Please, Doctor, you have to stop," Victoria pleaded once again. "Can't you see that it's too much for him? Please, I don't want him to die!"

"Señora, we discussed this before," the doctor said patiently. "I know that you're afraid for your husband, but I have to do this. The next days will be critical and he has to be supervised very closely."

"I don't want to sit here idly and do nothing," Victoria said. "I need to do something. Can help monitor him? He needs me now and I want to be with him."

"Your help is welcome, Señora. Your husband needs to be under constant supervision and I and my assistants can only do so much. I still have my other patients to care for," the doctor agreed.

Z Z Z

"Señora, you need to take a break," the doctor told her. "For the last ten days since your arrival, you have been almost constantly sitting at your husbands bed. You need to take care of yourself too."

"How can I leave him when he can die any time?" Victoria objected. "He's mostly unconscious now and I want to be there when he's awake."

"You're no help to him if you break down yourself. Your husband will be sleeping the next hours and recovering from the latest treatment. There's nothing you can do at the moment," the doctor told her.

Z Z Z

A few hours later, Victoria stood in front of the local garrison to ask for her brother as she had done almost every day since she had come to Mexico City, hoping he had finally returned from his excursion to Yucatán.

"Victoria, I never expected you to see you here in Mexico City," Ramon embraced her. "When I returned yesterday from my expedition, the guard told me that you had asked for me every day. What are you doing here? Why aren't you in Los Angeles? Are you all right?"

"Ramon, it's good to see you. I'm fine," she broke out in tears. "I only wanted to see you. I just came from my daily visit to the church and it's only a short walk from there to the garrison."

"Don't tell me that you're fine, Victoria. Tell me what's wrong!" Ramon hugged his crying sister. Victoria embraced her brother, relieved to have a shoulder to cry on.

"He's dying, and I don't know what to do," she sobbed at his shoulder. "I don't know what to do without him. I've been praying every day, but his condition is getting worse every day and there's nothing I can do."

Ramon held his sister and let her cry until she had calmed down again.

"I'm sorry, Ramon," Victoria wiped her tears. "I didn't want to meet you like this, but I'm so scared."

"Victoria, you're my sister and I'm here for you," Ramon assured her. "I don't understand anything you're talking about. Please, begin me from the start. How long have you been here? And why did you come here? What scares you so much?" Ramon guided her to a bench in the park that lay between the garrison and the cathedral.

"I don't have much time to tell you everything, Ramon," Victoria tried to calm down again. "I need to go back again soon. He's due for another potion and I don't know if it will be his last." Victoria cried again.

"Victoria, please, who are you talking about? You need to explain it to me."

"It's Diego. He's going to die, and I don't know what to do," Victoria sobbed. Slowly, Ramon got her to answer his questions through her tears, so he could understand what was going on.

"You married Diego de la Vega before he went here for the treatment of a severe illness and you followed him to be with him and help him?" Ramon couldn't hide his surprise, but Victoria wasn't in a condition to explain everything.

Victoria nodded. "The doctor is trying his best to save him, but it's not sure he will make it. I've been praying every day in the cathedral for God to save him. I don't know what to do if he dies!"

"Victoria, I'm always here for you, now that I'm back from my mission. I'll stay here for several weeks," Ramon assured her.

"I'm sorry, Ramon. I only talked about myself and didn't even ask about you," Victoria apologized. "Can we talk more about your time tomorrow? I need to go back now."

"It doesn't matter, Victoria. Your worries are more important now. I'll accompany you back, so I know where you're staying." Ramon called a carriage and Victoria gave the address of the doctor's house.

"Do you want me to come in and visit Diego?" Ramon asked when they had arrived.

"No," Victoria shook her head. "The doctor is too busy with his patients to meet visitors and Diego is in no condition to see anyone."

"Promise me to come to the garrison again when you have time and keep me informed. I'll be waiting for you. If anything happens, I'll come." Ramon assured her.

"Thank you, Ramon. It's so good to have you here," Victoria said gratefully.

Z Z Z

Victoria looked forward to meeting her brother again and talk with him, but the next days kept her busy. Diego grew weaker with every treatment and she didn't dare to leave him for a longer period of time.

"I have been increasing the potions every time," the doctor explained. "The next days will be critical. If he survives the next days, I can be sure that he'll make it."

In the night Victoria was maintaining vigil, holding his hand as his breathing became slower and slower. Alarmed, she called for the doctor.

"Is that normal? It appears that he's hardly breathing anymore. Will he make it?"

The doctor bent over his patient and examined his breathing and heart beat.

"No, the crisis came earlier than anticipated," the doctor said concerned. He left the room and returned with a small bottle a few minutes later. Carefully, he measured three drops on a spoon and made Diego swallow them. "This will increase his heart beat and make him breathe more. It's a very potent medicine and I have to be careful with the dose."

The effect of the medicine could be noticed immediately. Diego started to breathe faster and deeper than before. The doctor checked his heart beat and nodded satisfied. "It's better now. I'll stay with him for the next hours to make sure his condition is stable."

"How bad is he?" Victoria asked anxiously. "Will he make it?"

"I expect his condition to improve and I hope that the worst is over. If he makes it through the night he will survive," the doctor encountered her. "You should retire now and rest, Señora. It's of no use if we both hold vigil."

Victoria was reluctant to leave Diego, but she knew that the doctor was right. There was nothing she could do to help. "Will you call me if he's getting worse again? If he...?" she said with a trembling voice.

"Trust me with your husband as you did before, Señora," the doctor calmed her. "I'll do my best."

Z Z Z

"Victoria, how are you?" Ramon greeted her when they met again several days later. "And how's Diego? I was concerned when you didn't come to see me. I even went to the doctor's house to see you, but the servant told me that you were resting and the doctor was too busy for visits."

"It has been a terrible time, Ramon," Victoria explained. "Diego almost dies when his heart stopped, but the doctor saved him. I was afraid to leave him, but after that crisis he is getting better every day. The doctor tells me that the worst is over, but it will some more time until all the poison is flushed out of his body. I'm so relieved."

"Victoria, I'm happy for you and Diego. Send him my best wishes, Victoria," Ramon hugged her.

"Thank you. I will."

"I was afraid that I wouldn't see you again before my next deployment," Ramon said.

"You're leaving again?" Victoria said disappointed.

"Yes, you know how it is in the military. Our commanders can't have us linger in our barracks for too long," Ramon grinned. "I'll be heading for South Mexico this time. I'll probably be back in a few weeks. If you and Diego are still here, we can meet again or I'll try to make the time to see you in Los Angeles."

"That will be great, Ramon," Victoria smiled, though she was said that she wouldn't see her brother for some time now.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Tiredly, Alejandro sipped his coffee in the tavern. He needed the coffee to stay awake after a night with too little sleep, finally understanding Diego's behavior in the recent years when he had been riding as Zorro and risen late in the morning.

Zorro had to retire, Alejandro decided. There was no way this masquerade could go on. During the last weeks since Diego had left, he and Felipe had tried to keep up the impression that Zorro was still around by riding on Toronado in the night, dressed as Zorro. They had stayed clear or the soldiers, so the difference between them and the real Zorro would not be noticed, but last night there had been an encounter with two bandits who had felt safe making their camp on de la Vega land. Fortunately, the bandits had been too impressed when they recognized Zorro that they hadn't tried to fight him and fled instead.

Alejandro had realized then that he was too old for this. He couldn't ride at night to fight bandits or patrol the area and manage his hacienda by day. This had gone on long enough to convince everyone that Zorro hadn't left at the same time as Diego. In a few days he would present Toronado as a new horse he had bought in Santa Paula, eliminating the need to ride the horse by night.

Making decisions about Zorro's future distracted him from thinking about a future without his son Diego. Every letter from México made him fear the worst. He was afraid to read about his son's death after Victoria had written about Diego's declining health and the toll the cure took on him.

Alejandro was torn between his desire to be with his son and his obligations at home, but he had decided against traveling to Mexico City. There was nothing he could do for Diego in Mexico. Diego needed Victoria now more than his father and Alejandro had always felt helpless sitting at a sick bed. He was a man of action and in Los Angeles there was work for him.

While he couldn't do anything in Mexico, he could work on Zorro's legacy. No matter if Diego survived or not there would be no more Zorro. If Diego returned to Los Angeles, he deserved a future where he no longer needed to fight as Zorro and if he didn't.., Alejandro didn't want to think about it, but if it was the case, he would make sure that Zorro's fight hadn't been in vain and that the resistance would against oppression would go on.

He would do what he should have done years ago. The caballeros had relied on Zorro all these years instead of taking a stand on their own. His trip to Monterey to inform the governor about the situation in Los Angeles had been one step to make a change and the regular meetings of the caballeros on Don Emilio's and other's haciendas during the last weeks had been another.

His peers had been reluctant at first, because they hadn't wanted to believe that Zorro would no longer fight for them while he was still roaming the area by night, but when Zorro hadn't challenged the alcalde about the latest taxes as he used to, they started to realize that they were on their own now.  
By his tenacity and much talking, Alejandro had slowly made them change their mind and convince them to take a stand against the alcalde.

"Anything else I can bring you, Don Alejandro?" Pilar asked, pulling Alejandro out of his thoughts.

"No, thank you. Is there something you wanted?" he asked, when Pilar didn't leave the table.

"Do you know when Victoria will return from Mexico?" Pilar asked timidly.

"Why do you want to know that?" Alejandro asked.

"It's about the new tax," Pilar said. "If she's back, Zorro may came back too and fight for us again, instead of only fighting bandits in the night."

"What new tax?"

"Today the alcalde announced a new tax on all alcoholic beverages that are bought or consumed in the pueblo. He says that it's keeping people from drinking too much and it will make them work better." Pilar explained.

"There's a new tax on alcoholic beverages?" Alejandro asked angrily. "He wants to tax the wine that I drink here in the tavern or that I buy from my wine seller?"

Pilar only nodded angrily. "That's enough. I won't pay this tax!" Alejandro declared, rising from his chair.

"Maybe we should wait until Victoria returns from Mexico. If she returns soon, we can wait," Pilar suggested.

"Victoria won't return soon," Alejandro said. "As long as Diego is still so ill she will stay with him. Diego and Victoria got married."

"Diego and Victoria married?" Pilar asked open-mouthed. "You allowed your son to marry her though she's not of your class?"

"I don't care for classes," Alejandro declared. "We're no longer in Spain where it more important. Victoria is the daughter I always wanted and I'm happy to have her in the family. All I care about is my son and that he may live."

"Yes, you're right, Don Alejandro," Pilar said, stunned. "I pray that your son will recover and that he and Victoria will return soon. But if Victoria married Don Diego, does that mean Zorro won't return?"

"No, there won't be anymore Zorro," Alejandro said. "Zorro won't come back after Victoria married Diego. He came to the hacienda last night and when I told him about the marriage, Zorro said that there was no more reason to stay in this area."

With satisfaction Alejandro noticed the shocked look from Pilar who hastily removed the dirty glasses from the table before she walked over to the other tables. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but from the glances the other patrons threw in his direction, he could guess that the news were already making the rounds.

Alejandro didn't have to wait long until some of his peers approached his tables to satisfy their curiosity.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** A little chapter for this story. Diego didn't treat his father well in the initial version of the story, so I decided to give Alejandro a greater part. Now that he knows he won't stand by idle. The next chapter will be about Alejandro too (I have to write that next), before I come back to Diego and Victoria (mostly written). I have no idea for a new story yet, so I'll try to finish this one and Lost Hope while waiting for an inspiration that matches my mood._


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Is it true that your son has married Victoria Escalante?" his friend Don Emilio asked, as he and two other friends joined his table. "Congratulations. Your son has finally married."

"Yes, it's true," Alejandro answered, "but there's no reason for congratulations."

"Why? Don't you agree with Diego's choice? I always thought that you liked Victoria?" Don Emilio said, surprised. "Or is it because of Zorro? He didn't come to the pueblo recently anyway, so it doesn't change a thing."

"It changes a lot," Alejandro said. "Victoria and Diego wouldn't have married so suddenly if the situation wasn't so bad. I have a daughter-in-law now but I may never have grandchildren because Diego may die any day."

"I'm sorry, Alejandro. I didn't know that the situation was so grave," his friend said sympathetically. "I thought that Diego had recovered again. It's been weeks now since he fell ill. I can understand now why you aren't celebrating."

"And with Zorro gone too, we're on our own now," Alejandro stated.

"What about Zorro?" the alcalde asked upon entering the tavern. "I heard he was seen again by some travelers last night."

"Travelers!" Alejandro snorted. "There aren't any travelers making their camp secretly on de la Vega land. They were bandits trying to steal my cattle. If you were doing your job and had your soldiers guard the area properly as they do in the other pueblos we wouldn't have that problem." Alejandro had risen from his seat and confronted the alcalde.

"Be careful what you say," the alcalde warned him. "I could imprison you for rebellion, Don Alejandro. Don't think I'm unaware of your activities. You're trying to persuade your fellow peers to join you in your rebellion against the crown of Spain. Don't think that Zorro will be able to get you out of prison again. My men are prepared for him and will kill him. You're a very good bait to lure him back to the pueblo!"

"Ha! You will never catch Zorro because he's much too smart for you," Alejandro said condescendingly. "We all know how much you tried since the day you came here. And to disappoint you, even more, I'm not waiting for Zorro to come to my aid. Zorro left the area last night after I told him about Victoria's marriage to Diego."

"Zorro left the area and your son married Victoria?" the alcalde sputtered, surprised. "I can understand that Zorro left because his love married another, but what I don't understand is why your son would marry Victoria when he could have done much better than someone like her. She probably desperately needed a husband."

"You warned me about my words, Alcalde, but now I'm warning you not to talk this way about my daughter-in-law. I'm willing to challenge you any time to defend the honor of my family. The situation is not at all as you suggest."

"What do you mean by that?" the alcalde asked, irritated.

"My son is gravely ill and nobody knows if he will survive. Do you know what that means to a man? To lose his only son, Alcalde?" Alejandro challenged him. "It means that I have nothing more to lose if Diego dies and you can no longer intimidate me. Go ahead and arrest me for rebellion! I'm loyal to the King of Spain and everyone knows that. My brothers have fought in the Royal Army for years and my brother died in service. So don't accuse me of rebellion, Alcalde. The only one I'm rebelling against is you! You have been oppressing this pueblo since the day you came here, trying to gain personal glory by catching Zorro, who has been defending the people of this pueblo against oppression and injustice. But enough is enough! Zorro is no longer here to help us and now we have to stand up and defend ourselves as we should have done years before."

Alejandro turned to his peers who had gathered around him. "Are you with me, Amigos?"

"I don't know," Don Pedro, who wasn't known for his bravery, said hesitantly. "You may have nothing to lose but the rest of us..?"

"You have more to win than to lose, Don Pedro," Alejandro brushed over his concerns. "What would you have done if Zorro hadn't found the cattle hustlers who nearly ruined you last year? Where would you be now? Where would we all be now without Zorro? Do you want the oppression by this man," Alejandro pointed at the alcalde, "go on without resistance with no more help from Zorro? Or will you finally stand up for your own? Together we are strong! We no longer need the help of Zorro if we stand together. Are you with me?" Alejandro addressed his peers again.

"Sergeant Mendoza, arrest him!" the alcalde commanded.

"Si, mi Alcalde," Mendoza said timidly. "Who should I arrest? Only Don Alejandro?"

"You will have to arrest us all!" Don Emilio stepped forward to stand by his friend. "My friend Alejandro is right, together we are strong and it's time that we unite against you, Alcalde. You can't arrest us all and the citizens of this pueblo all stand behind us. Some of us, like Don Alejandro here, are related to the Royal family and I don't think you want to risk an investigation why you killed relatives of the king."

"Thank you, Amigos, for supporting me," Alejandro smiled relieved at his friends before turning to the alcalde again. "Do you want to arrest the whole pueblo? You know you don't have space as the jail is already crowded. Your soldiers won't fire on their own citizens to support you."

Alejandro turned to the sergeant who stared self-consciously to the ground. "Now that Zorro has left there's nothing more for you to gain. You won't catch the hero of the pueblo – just admit it to yourself. You have the chance to leave now and pack what you came with or be chased out of the pueblo all the way to the port of San Pedro. What do you choose?"

Realizing his defeat, the alcalde tried to keep his dignity. "I will resign from my post and return to Spain. Zorro is gone, so I have achieved my goal to rid this pueblo from that outlaw."

"You have one hour to pack, De Soto, and try to help yourself with the tax money before you leave or you will walk to San Pedro!" Alejandro warned him.

"I will supervise it personally," Don Rodrigo, a young caballero offered, "and see that he leaves for San Pedro. Diego is my friend and I want him to recover. You can go back to the church and pray for him, Don Alejandro, while we take care of the rest."

"Thank you," Alejandro said gratefully. "I will exactly do that." Alejandro put on his hat and walked over the plaza to the church to pray for his son. He had secured a future for his son and the pueblo and no longer required the help of Zorro, now all he prayed for was for his son to live.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** I should have posted this chapter together with the previous, except that I didn't really know how to proceed with the conversation in the tavern when I posted chapter 11. Now that I have eliminated that obstacle there are chapters 13 and 14 ready for posting. Enjoy reading._


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

A few days later Alejandro opened the letter from Victoria with shaking hands, unsure of its content. Would it inform him of his son's death or bring him hope for the future?

Dear Father,  
 _I'm sorry that I haven't written earlier but I wanted to wait until the doctor was sure before I told you the good news. Diego will survive._

Alejandro stopped reading as tears of relief and happiness flooded his face. His son would live! His prayers had been answered. After he had wiped his tears and composed himself again, he picked up the letter again.

 _Diego is still very weak and the treatment will need to continue but the doctor is sure that he has flushed most of the poison from his body, so the poison won't kill him. The shaking spells are fewer and less severe but there has been little improvement on his sight. Diego is still blind and it depresses him even more while the rest of his body is recovering. The doctor doesn't know why there is no progress with his sight and can't tell him if he will stay blind or not._

 _Please continue to pray for Diego's full recovery when it means so much to him with his love of books._

Diego was blind. The joy about the previous news was suddenly dampened and Alejandro no longer felt so happy. He hadn't even known before that the poison had an effect on Diego's sight too. Had it been like this when Diego had been poisoned and suffered from the effects the first time? Why hadn't he noticed the condition of his son?

Alejandro remembered that Diego had rubbed his temples and swayed a little during that hearing about the land deeds. How had Diego been able to hide the effects of the poison so well, dismissing his father's questions by pretending a lack of sleep? How could he have been so ignorant as a father not to notice that his son was seriously ill? Felipe had told him everything that had happened and that Diego would have had only a few hours to live if he hadn't gotten the antidote in time.

It wasn't the first time Alejandro reproached himself since the day he learned the truth about Diego. He'd never forget the moment Diego told him about his condition, revealing his secret identity and his marriage to Victoria at the same time. The revelation had left him in shock and he hadn't been able to say much to his son during the final hours before Diego left for Mexico in hope of a treatment. But when Diego returned he'd make it up to his son and be a parent his son could rely on whether he stayed blind or not.

Z~Z~Z

On his reply letter, Alejandro told Victoria about the latest events in Los Angeles as she had requested. He told her how he had gotten rid of Zorro and rallied the caballeros behind him to stand up against the alcalde and his schemes to catch Zorro with unjust taxes. When Victoria and Diego returned to Los Angeles they could look forward to raising their children in peace with no more need for Zorro.

Z~Z~Z

The next letter Alejandro received from Mexico was still written by Victoria, making him concerned before he even opened it.

 _Dear Father,_

 _I can't say how relieved I am about the news from Los Angeles. I thought the day would never come when there was no more need for Zorro. You were able to finish this making the other caballeros realize they needed to stand with you and end the oppression that has lasted too many years. They should have done that years ago and eliminated the need for Zorro much earlier. Even if Diego heals completely he will no longer ride as Zorro and is a big relief for me. I can't tell you how many sleepless nights I lay awake praying for his safety and now I don't have to do that any longer. I worry now about his recovery.  
His health has improved much during the last weeks since I wrote you. The progress was slow at first, but he is able to move around in and around the house. In a carriage, we've started to explore the city between treatments which are less often now. We would like to leave and come back home but we can't. The doctor has reduced the treatments to two times a day since the poison is nearly flushed out of his body. Only his eyes are still affected. As long as Diego is still blind, we can't return home. Diego has hope the continued treatment will restore his sights and wants to stay if there is still a chance for his full recovery. So, we will stay some more weeks. Hopefully, the doctor will be successful with his cure and Diego wants to stay until the doctor can make a final diagnosis if Diego will regain his sight or not._

Victoria continued the letter writing about the sights in Mexico City they had visited and the big Cathedral she had frequented often for prayers. By describing the sights, she tried to ease his mind from his worries and Alejandro smiled a little when he put down the letter at the end. Diego would live and that was all that counted at the moment. He could understand that his son was clinging to the chance of a full recovery even if it kept them in Mexico City much longer though he missed his son but he could live with it knowing that his son would return home to him.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Just a short chapter to keep the story going. Next one will follow soon.  
You may wonder about Diego staying blind while the rest of his body is better, but it's not only because it fits the story. I read about a blue-eyed doctor who returned home after getting infected with Ebola in Africa. He was assumed to be cured but then he noticed that the color of one eye had turned from blue to green. The virus had remained in his eye and changed its color. So there are illnesses that have a special effect on the eyes and I took the liberty to keep Diego blind for a while. **  
**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Diego's health had improved much during the last weeks and he was able to move around freely during treatments if it weren't for his inability to see. While the poison was mainly flushed out of his body, it still affected his eyes. Though he was no longer completely blind and able to see some shades, he wasn't completely healed.

Sitting in the shade in the doctor's garden, Victoria was struggling with the words in the scientific book she was reading from.

"I can't stand this anymore," Victoria dropped the book to the floor, rising from her seat in frustration. "I'm trying my best, but you have nothing better to do than to correct the pronunciation of every word I read. I don't understand anything of this scientific stuff. Why can't we read something nice?"

"I don't want to read another novel! I would read it myself if only I could," Diego said, equally frustrated. "The doctor can't tell me when and if my eyesight will return. Do you know how that feels?"

"And do you know how that feels to see you like this?" Victoria retorted. "Do you think I don't care? Why are you treating me like this? I don't know how to go on anymore!" With a sob, she ran into the house, not listening to Diego calling out for her.

"Victoria, please, don't go!" Diego rose from the bench he had been sitting on and followed her inside. After staying in the house for so long, he knew his way around without help. He heard Victoria move up the stairs in the back of the house and followed her upstairs, guessing she was heading for her room though he had never been there.

At the top of the stairs he could make out the shape of a small door frame and stepped inside after knocking.

Victoria had turned around at the door and was now facing him. Diego felt the half open door behind himself and closed it. Then he moved forward to reach for her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he drew her into his arms, "I shouldn't have yelled at you. I have no right to take it out on you. Forgive me?"

"I'm sorry too, Diego," Victoria whispered, rising on her toes to kiss him.

"I love you. I don't know what I'd have done without you these past weeks."

What started as a tender kiss became soon more passionate when Diego held her in a tight embrace. With his hands he roamed along her body, concentrating on feeling her and savoring the taste of her mouth and the scent of her body. During all the weeks she had been nursing him, they had shared only tender kisses, leaving him even more frustrated about his weak condition. When Victoria responded to his kisses with equal passion, he realized that she must feel the same about their lack of intimacy.

"You feel so good," he whispered. "I want to feel you in my arms and touch you." With his mouth he trailed kisses along her neck, touching her sensitive spots, making her moan softly when he pressed her body into his tight embrace and slipped his fingers under her blouse.

Diego fumbled for the lock on the door and turned the key when he found it. Surprised, Victoria drew back and stared at him. "What are you doing?"

"Ensuring that we won't be disturbed," he grinned mischievously, pulling her towards the bed.

"You haven't completely recovered," Victoria sighed.

"You know I'm strongest in the morning and in the afternoon, shortly before the next treatment is due. We have more than an hour until then. Are you willing to give it a try?" he asked. "I wouldn't mind some help in undressing."

Victoria didn't need much more persuasion to join him on the bed and get them out of their clothes.

After their lovemaking they lay sleepily in each others arms, enjoying their closeness. Tenderly, he brushed a hair out of her face, caressing her cheek. "I couldn't stop dreaming of holding you like this," he whispered. "I wanted to hold you while I knew that I couldn't and it didn't improve my temper."

"I missed that too. I thought you hadn't recovered enough and I grew tired of being only your nurse," Victoria admitted. "I love you."

"You are my wife and I love you," he assured her with a kiss. "I've been dreaming about holding you in my arms in the morning and show you how much I love you. I want to start our life right now and make sure you'll longer doubt it."

"What do you want to do?" Victoria inquired, surprised by his determination.

"We need more time for ourselves," he declared, "more privacy than we can have here at the doctor's house. And what kind of room is?" he asked as he touched the wall next to the bed. "It must be half the size of your room in the tavern and that isn't very large either."

"It's a servant's room, but I'm grateful to the doctor offered it to me, so I could stay with you."

"You deserve better, and it has been like a long enough."

"Do you want to return home? You aren't healed yet!"

"No, I know that I can't leave as long as I need the doctor's treatment," Diego agreed, "but I don't need the constant supervision anymore. We could move into a tavern or rent a house in this area. That way the doctor can still treat me while we can be on our own."

"I like that idea very much," Victoria snuggled closer into his arms. "I can't wait to get out of this house. I believe it's about time we no longer strain the doctor's hospitality."

"We'll start looking for a new accommodating tomorrow, mi Querida," he promised her. "My wife," he whispered, feeling her smile at his cheek at this endearment as he kissed her again.

Z~Z~Z

The next day they asked the doctor about any available accommodation in the vicinity.

"I understand that you want to be on your own," the Doctor Herrera said, "but unfortunately there aren't any guesthouses or taverns in this part of the town as I told your wife before."

"What about that big house further down the street? I passed it by every day on my way to the church," Victoria asked. "I noticed that the occupants have moved out when I came here first. It has been empty since."

"You are probably talking about the estate of the Montero family who went back to Spain a few weeks ago," the doctor said. "The house is not for rent but only for sale for a high price."

"How do you know that?" Diego asked.

"I'm looking for house that could be turned into a small hospital, so I could treat my patients better but the price is so high that I will never be able to afford it or even rent it. How will a doctor like me ever be able to earn ten thousand pesos?"

"Is the house still on sale?" Diego asked.

"Yes. Are you really considering buying it?" the doctor asked, surprised.

"If a visit can be arranged the next days, we will have a look at it. And if my wife thinks it suitable, we will take it," Diego said.

"You want me to make that decision?" Victoria asked. "It's a lot of money."

"I trust your experience as a tavern owner and your eyes see more than mine at the moment," Diego assured her, reaching for her hand.

"Are you able to have so much money available on short notice?" the doctor asked, surprised, who hadn't expected him to be so rich. He had believed that Diego with his humble appearance was a minor noble whose status didn't matter much allowing him to marry below his class, but now he had to realize that his patient had to be quite rich despite the rather simple clothing Victoria was wearing.

"I need to talk to the bank but it should not be a problem," Diego said. "If you could send a servant to arrange a meeting with the sales manager, we would proceed as soon as possible."

"I can do that," the doctor said, still at awe about the sudden revelation of his patient's wealth.

Z Z Z

After Victoria and Diego inspected the house with the sales manager and found the house still fully equipped as the former inhabitants hadn't been able to take much with them as they moved back to Spain. With Victoria making some objections on several things that weren't in good shape and might need repairs and Diego offering to pay immediately, the sales manager agreed to lower the price to nine thousand pesos they could move in two days later after some servants had cleaned up and made the house accommodating again.

* * *

 _A/N: I finished the next chapter and I'm heading towards the ending. Only a few more chapters to go. Diego is almost his old self again. :)_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

A few days later Diego and Victoria were driving back from the city center where they had done some shopping for their house.

"Why did you have to buy all this?" Diego asked, after he had felt all the small crates and items on the back of the carriage. "You know we will return to Los Angeles as soon as we can."

"I only bought what was necessary," Victoria objected, while she concentrated on driving the carriage through the narrow streets leading to their area of town. "When we looked at the house we thought it was fully equipped but only after we moved in we found out how much was missing. It was either taken back to Spain or stolen after the family moved out. The house has been standing empty for two months now."

"I don't want to know what's inside all these boxes but I trust you," Diego smiled at her while playing with the long cane in his hand.

"Is that a new cane?" Victoria asked. "Why don't you use the one the doctor gave you to find your way around?"

"I wish I could see again," Diego said miserably, "but all I can see are shapes and it's not enough to keep me from stumbling over objects or unevenness in the ground. So, if I need to carry a cane, I decided I wanted something better than a mere cane." Before Diego could say more, the carriage was suddenly brought to a stop.

"Hand us all of your money! At once!" A man shouted.

"Get out of that carriage!" another man commanded. When Diego didn't react at once, he started pulling at Diego's arm. "Can't you see the weapon I point at you?"

"My husband is blind! He's no danger for the two of you. Leave us alone!" Victoria yelled at the two men. "Let me go!"

"Don't touch my wife!" Diego growled, as stepped out of the carriage, checking the ground with his cane.

"You have nothing to say to us, Señor!" the bandit smirked. "If you can't see my weapon, you may prefer to feel one." Diego felt the point of a blade touching his chest lightly.

"Now hand me your money!" Diego was about to reach for his purse when he heard Victoria yell.

"Don't touch me! You can't have my wedding ring. Don't take it!" Then he heard a shot and there was silence.

"Victoria!" he shouted, but there wasn't an answer.

"You will regret it to the end of your life if my wife was harmed!" Diego threatened the man in front of him. The man had been distracted for a moment by the shot and lowered his weapon. This gave Diego the time to draw the blade that was hidden inside of his cane.

Furious about the assault on him and Victoria, Diego attacked the man in front of him whose shape was only a blur and he couldn't see the blade but he knew how to engage the man into a fight. Attack after attack forced the bandit to defend himself as good as he could, enabling Diego to know exactly where his opponent's blade had to go for the next parry. It didn't prevent Diego from getting a cut on his arm when he didn't see the blade coming and he knew that he couldn't keep this up for long. Quickly switching his blade to his other hand, he continued his attacks and when his opponent failed to parry. Diego felt his blade enter the man's body and heard the man groan as he dropped to the ground and the blade left his body.

"Victoria," he yelled, but then he heard several riders approach.

"What happened here?" A man demanded to know. "We heard a shot."

"Who's there?" Diego asked.

"Señor, we are soldiers on patrol. Sergeant Garcia, at your service."

"My wife and I were attacked by bandits who tried to rob us."

"Private Fernandez, check the area," the man commanded.

"Why do ask who's there?" the sergeant asked curiously.

"My wife, where is she?" Diego asked, distressed. "Victoria?"

"Are you blind, Señor?" the sergeant asked, shocked. "But you were fighting with your blade. There's blood on it and that man on the ground is injured. What happened here?"

"Victoria?" Diego called again.

"Diego, I'm here!" Victoria answered.

Diego let out a deep breath of relief when he heard her voice. She was alive! "Are you alright? Why didn't you answer?" he asked concerned, relieved when he felt her hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry. I must have fainted for a moment. The bandit tried to rob my wedding ring, but then I managed to get out my pistol that I have hidden under my clothes. I think I shot him," Victoria started to cry as she wrapped her arms around him. "I've never shot anyone before."

"Shh, it's all right, Querida," Diego held her tight. "I was so afraid something happened to you when you didn't answer. I couldn't lose you."

"Señora, can you tell us what happened?" the sergeant addressed Victoria.

"These two men stopped our carriage and tried to rob us. They forced us to get out of the carriage," Victoria said with a quivering voice,

"And when he tried to get your wedding ring, you shot him?" the sergeant asked.

"Yes, I wasn't really aiming, but I didn't know what to do. My husband is blind and we were helpless." Diego felt her shaking in his arms.

"What about the other man?" the sergeant inquired. "Señor, how could you fight him if you are blind?"

"The man wasn't a very good swordsman. I forced him into a pattern of defensive parries where you don't need to see the blade because you know where the next move goes. I think I injured him when he became clumsy and failed to defend himself," Diego said confidently.

"The man was stabbed in his ribs," Private Fernandez announced. "The wound is serious but I think he will live. I know him. It's Hernando Ortega and the other one is his brother Emilio. These two have been robbing citizens for some time now. They must have thought a blind man and his wife were an easy target."

"Instead, they were overcome by this señor and his wife," the sergeant shook his head in wonder. "Life is full of surprises. Private, take Hernando Ortega to prison and make sure someone takes care of that body."

"Anything I can do for you and your wife, Señor?" the sergeant addressed Diego again. "Do you need a doctor? Is that blood on your arms yours?"

"I think I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Diego de la Vega and this is my wife Victoria Escalante."

"Escalante?" the sergeant asked. "I think I remember you. I was on duty at the garrison when you asked for Lieutenant Escalante. Are you related?"

"Yes, Ramon is my brother," Victoria explained.

"Ramon is my friend and if you need any help, it would be my pleasure."

"Your help is welcome," Diego said. "Our house is not far from here and we were on our way back. It would be kind of you if one of your men could drive us back. My wife has been driving, because I can't see, but she's in no condition at the moment."

"I can drive," Victoria protested, but with Diego's arm around her waist, he could feel her slight shaking. "I'm fine and wasn't injured. What about your arm?"

"It's just a scratch. Doctor Hernandez can take care of it later," Diego assured her.

"I'll drive you myself, Señor de la Vega," the sergeant offered. "Just tell me where you need to go."

He tied his horse to the carriage and climbed inside to drive them home, following the directions Victoria gave him.

After the sergeant had left and they were back in their house, Victoria insisted on calling Doctor Hernandez immediately to take care of Diego's arm though Diego dismissed it as only a scratch.

Z~Z~Z

"You had quite an adventure today," the doctor said, as he bandaged Diego's arm where the bandit's sword had cut him. "I can't understand how you could fight that man when you couldn't see him unless your sight has improved more than you let me believe."

"Unfortunately, I can only see some blurred shapes, Doctor," Diego sighed. "I wished there was more progress."

"But how can you fight when you can't see the blade?" the doctor asked, puzzled. "How can you defend yourself and even win when you're blind? I'd be dead in a second if someone I couldn't see attacked me."

"The trick is to attack yourself, Doctor," Diego explained. "Once you attack, your opponent can't do anything else but to defend himself and you are in command where his blade goes. You don't have to see it because you know his next move. There are patterns of attack and parry every fighter learns until they become an instant routine. You only have to lock your opponent in one of those routines until he tires and makes mistakes."

"You have to be a very good swordsman to do that, Don Diego," the doctor said.

"I haven't been beaten since I beat my fencing master in my final lesson," Diego said arrogantly.

"You haven't been beaten?" the doctor asked incredulously. "That's quite a claim for someone to make. Maybe you should go to Los Angeles and try to fight Zorro, the famous outlaw who's supposed to be the best swordsman in the world," he joked. Suddenly, the doctor dropped his bandages and stared at Diego. Victoria could see that he had turned white. "But you are not only from California but from Los Angeles, aren't you? You mentioned it once when you came here. Maybe that explains where you got the scars on your body. My wife has been following the events in Los Angeles closely because her sister lived in the area. Zorro saved her daughter when she was abducted by bandits." The doctor had finished the bandaging and made ready to leave.

The doctor bowed before he left. "I think I will ask my wife about her correspondence with her sister. I didn't listen closely when she talked about that hero and his love story with a tavern owner," The doctor stared at Victoria and Diego who were holding hands, sitting side by side on the couch. "I think I understand a lot more and I can also believe that you were able to defeat that bandit while you were blind. My respect! You gave me a lot to think about. I'll come back later for your next treatment."

"The doctor knows now," Diego stated when they were alone again. "I shouldn't have told him that nobody has beaten me." Feeling the tension in her body, he tried to acquiesce her. "Don't worry, I don't think it's a problem. The doctor won't talk and we're in Mexico and not in California."

"It's unbelievable that a blind man can beat another in a sword fight," Victoria shook her head. "I can hardly believe it myself though I have seen you fighting before."

"It was the only thing I could do," Diego said. "I didn't know what was going on. When I heard the shot and you didn't answer, I thought I had lost you. I couldn't stand that and all I could do was to fight. I needed to fight that man, so I could find out what had happened to you and if you were still alive. I hardly felt the injury because all that counted was to win that fight and save you."

"I know it was stupid but I didn't want to give my wedding ring to that bandit. This ring was all that kept me going since the day you proposed to me. There were so many nights I was afraid I'd never see you again because you might be shot as Zorro or when you told me of your illness. I simply couldn't let him have it. So when I got hold of that pistol, I shot him."

"I wasn't worth risking your life for it. I would have given you a new one. Promise me, you won't do that again."

"I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry, and I promise. I only knew what I had done when that man dropped to the ground and I realized that I had killed him. Everything turned black then."

"You scared me when you didn't answer. It was the same as on the day when you took that shot for me and I thought you were dying in my arms. I never want to go through that again." Diego held her tight and caressed her tenderly.

"And I never want to go back to fearing for your life every night. I'm so relieved your father found a way to get rid of de Soto and there's no more need for Zorro."

"I thought that day would never come but it needed my father's despair over my condition to have him forget everything and make his peers see what needed to be done. Since the day I felt the first effects of the poison, I knew that my days as Zorro were over. I want to go on with my life now that we're finally married."

"All that matters is that we're together and I don't care if you stay blind or not!" Victoria declared.

"It matters to me but I can live with it if I can have you in my arms," Diego kissed her tenderly, locking her in his embrace. "You went through a shock today. I know that it's not easy to be responsible for the death of another person."

"Everything happened so fast. Only after he as dead, I realized what I had done. I don't know what to think now." She buried her face in his chest as the tears finally started to fall.

"It will be all right," Diego assured her. "After you had some time to think about it, you will realize that it wasn't your fault. The men attacked us and sometimes there isn't any time to think, only to react. Just give it some time."

Victoria relaxed as Diego comforted her with his words and his caresses.


End file.
